Ocular Complications of Zygomatic Dental Implants: A Systematic Review

Zygomatic implants are a form of dental implant that anchors in the zygomatic bone with potential for complications to the eye and orbit. This article presents a systematic review of the literature regarding ophthalmological complications of zygomatic implants to familiarize ophthalmologists with the potential complications and their treatment options. The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Various searches using PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar were used to search for articles using search terms including 'zygomatic', 'dental', 'implant', 'complications', 'eye,' and 'orbit.' Exclusion criteria included articles that were unavailable in English or written before 1980. Twenty-four articles were included in this review: nine case reports, one case series, nine cohort studies, one randomized controlled trial, and four review articles. The most common complication was infraorbital paresthesia, followed by intraoperative orbital penetration. Other complications included implants placed into the orbit, orbital hematomas, extraocular muscle damage, diplopia, subconjunctival hemorrhage, periorbital fistulae, infraorbital rim infections, and orbital emphysema. Of 41 cases, which included outcomes, 10 patients required further procedures, and five patients had irreversible damage. It is important for both oral and maxillofacial surgeons and ophthalmologists to recognize these complications for proper coordination of care and treatment.